Lovely
by StrangeSweetSound
Summary: A quick oneshot. Modern day. Christine goes for a lovely morning run around the lake and finds surprise. She's still trying to figure out if it's pleasant or not.


**I wrote this as a part of my future story, _As Fate Would Have It_, but I thought it would make a fun oneshot and preview of the story. I haven't written much else for it, but I hope to start it this summer. So don't worry too much about certain details and why they're not expanded upon. It will happen eventually!**

* * *

Christine couldn't sleep. She rolled over to look at her alarm clock. 6:32 am. _Ugh. On a Saturday?_ _Oh well._ Christine slid out of the covers, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She didn't need to start on her chores for another two and a half hours. The sunrise began to peek into her room, washing her white walls pale orange and pink. She looked out the window. The water from the lake glistened against the soft morning light. Lovely. _I suppose I'll go for a walk around the lake._

She dressed in athletic shorts and a tank and made her way downstairs. Annette sat in her robe at the breakfast nook with a cup of coffee. She gave Christine a brief smile above the morning paper. There was no sign of Erik on her way out the back door, but there were dozens of other places he could have been. Good. She didn't really want to see him first thing in the morning anyway.

Christine headed out toward the path around the lake, breathing in the fresh mountain air. The birds chirped happily and the water lapped the shore in the breeze. Lovely. She decided to start jogging without a goal in mind. The path wasn't always directly along the shore of the lake; it winded naturally with the trees and foliage. Christine found herself meandering through a forest of pines and spruces. She could tell when her running had spooked some sort of wildlife, whether it be a rabbit, squirrel, or deer. It was invigorating to run within the green walls of nature. Animalistic, even. She felt like a mountain lion stalking along the terrain.

A lap around the lake was about a mile. About three-quarters of the way around, Christine slowed down to a walk, slightly winded. This part of the path ran right along the shoreline. There was another significantly less worn path jutting out into the woods. She smiled slightly and decided to walk along it for a bit. Christine pushed branches and leaves out of her way as she followed the path.

Just as she was hidden from the view of the path, Christine heard a sudden pounding noise. She immediately thought of some sort of wildlife charging her. She scurried further away from the main path and buried herself deeper into the foliage. The pounding running slowed as it neared. She could hear heavy breathing. Christine peeked through some leaves for a view of the path. There stood Erik. She suddenly felt like the spooked wildlife from before. How foolish.

Erik's fingers laced together on top of his head to help his breathing. He hadn't noticed her yet. Christine was about to step out and reveal herself, but a few things stopped her. One, she thought about how odd and almost creepy it would look. Two, she didn't want to talk to him, let alone explain herself. And three… well, she wanted to see why he had stopped right here. He kept circling the area, catching his breath.

Erik wore a different mask—probably one that could breathe and would be more comfortable during exercise. It was flesh-colored, and it looked like a foamy mesh material. Christine's head tilted as she continued to examine him. He was shirtless—his chest, stomach, and arms were lightly sculpted. His chest was dusted with the perfect amount of hair, which clung to him. He glistened with sweat.

Something else caught her eye as he turned around. A light line scarred his shoulder blade. Christine squinted to get a better look. That's just what it was, though. A scar. And there were dozens more slashing across his entire back—different directions, lengths, and colorations. Her brow furrowed in concern.

_What the hell are you doing?!_ Christine finally realized what was happening. She looked away, angry that she had been admiring his body and worrying about how and why he had so many scars. _You despise him, remember?_

She looked up at him again and felt her heart begin to pound. _Remember?_

What happened next felt like slow motion. Erik's back was to her as he bent over to take off his shoes and socks. Then he took off his athletic shorts. Christine couldn't move. Couldn't look away. He stood there for a moment, completely naked, simply enjoying the view of the lake. Christine also enjoyed the view. Of his derrière. She stared. It was as muscled as the rest of him. And it was just as tan as the rest of him, which meant that he did this often. Christine felt heat rise in the pit of her stomach.

Erik continued to enjoy the scenery all around him. He slowly began to turn around, in her direction. Christine stared at his chest, his stomach, his navel… Her eyes followed the light trail of hair to his manhood. Her lips parted. She felt the heat between her legs now. She stared shamelessly, admiring his size… Lovely.

After a moment, Christine realized he wasn't turning anymore. He was completely still. Her stomach dropped and she slowly lifted her eyes. Up his happy trail, past his navel, his stomach, his chest, his mask… His grey eyes stared into hers for a long moment. She stopped breathing. Erik's visible eyebrow gave a minuscule raise and his lips betrayed a slight smirk. Then he turned on his heel and dove into the lake.


End file.
